This invention relates to automobile body structures and, more particularly, to an arrangement for retaining a free end portion of vehicle plastic body panel to a subjacent metal portion of the vehicle frame.
Various fastening arrangements have been used to secure flexible elastomeric vehicle body panels to a subjacent connector member. One arrangement for mounting a plastic fender panel is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,108 issued Oct. 29, 1991 to Bien et al. and assigned to the assignee of the present application. The Bien patent discloses one or more female connectors integrally formed on a fender panel engaging associated male connectors projecting from a supporting surface. One of the problems associated with such flexible plastic panel assemblies is to achieve front corner dimensional stability during heat cycling and design service life.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,765 issued Mar. 24, 1992 to Bien, also assigned to the assignee of the present application, discloses another arrangement for attaching a plastic panel to an automotive body metal substructure enabling controlled distortion free thermal expansion and contraction of the panel relative to the vehicle frame. The '765 Bien patent concerns a plurality of self-adjusting plastic mounting blocks sized for initial insertion in a wide slot portion of an associated keyhole shaped expansion and contraction slot provided in the vehicle metal frame. The blocks are uniquely designed to enable the plastic panel and the blocks to slid relative to the metal frame thereby accommodating thermal movement of the panel.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,733 issued Mar. 4, 1986 to Zaydel discloses an apparatus for mounting a vehicle plastic body panel upon an underlying metal substructure wherein one end of the panel is fixedly mounted on the substructure. The thermal growth of the panel induces longitudinal movement of a mounting member to permit distortion-free growth relative to the underlying metal substructure.